1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an optoelectronic component with a photonic crystal, which also features an electronic band gap and/or a tunneling electron path, as well as to a method for controlling tunneling electron currents by means of photons.
For a few years, materials under the term “photonic crystal” have been known and understood to be materials having an optical or photonic band gap for light, especially in the UV range up to the microwave range. Photons with energies within the band gap are completely reflected or cannot propagate in the crystal. Such behavior corresponds to that of electrons in crystalline solid bodies, which possess an electronic band gap between the valence and conduction bands. However, the term “photonic crystal” is understood to include not only crystals in the conventional sense, but also any other material that is, in particular, optionally non-monocrystalline or polycrystalline or any other structure with an optical or photonic band gap.
2. Related Art
Furthermore, in principle, it is already known to form defect sites in photonic crystals, in order to modify the optical properties and to enable, for example, localization or targeted conduction of photons in the photonic crystal. As an example, refer to the article “A three-dimensional optical photonic crystal with designed defect sites” by Minghao Qi et al., Nature, Volume 429, Jun. 3, 2004, pp. 285ff.
“Untersuchungen zur Erfassung und Modifikation von Bandlücken, drei-dimensionaler Photonischer. Kristalie basierend auf mit chemischen Quanten-punkten belegten Polymeren”
From [Studies on the detection and modification of band gaps of three-dimensional photonic crystals based on polymers coated with chemical quantum points] by Birgit Mellis, Shaker Verlag, Aachen 2004, ISBN 3-8322-2782-2, a photonic crystal is known, which also features tunneling electron paths in the photonic band gap. The crystal is constructed from polymer spheres with a diameter of approximately 200-800 nm, which are each surrounded by a shell made from ligand-stabilized AU55 nanoclusters, so that tunneling electron paths are formed between the gold clusters.
The formation of tunneling electron paths between gold clusters is basically already known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,350,930 A. Here, nano-quantum channels are formed from at least two adjacent clusters. Preferably, bulk material from the clusters is used, which are pressed together. The clusters each feature a metallic cluster nucleus and an insulating ligand shell. The cluster nuclei each feature, in particular, 55 gold atoms in closest sphere packing and form, in particular, quantum wires.
A lot of research has been performed in the field of metal clusters, especially with 55 gold atoms. As an example, refer to the following articles: “Single-electron tunneling in AU55 cluster monolayers” by L. F. Chi et al., Appl. Phys. A 66, pp. 187-190 (1998); “Metal Clusters and Colloids,” Günter Schmid et al., Adv. Mater. 1998, 10, No. 7; “Reduced Metallic Properties of Ligand-Stabilized Small Metal Clusters,” Huijing Zhang et al., NANO LETTERS 2003, Vol. 3, No. 3, [pp.] 305-307.